Learning multiplication is often an abstract process that requires hands-on practice. So how can teachers effectively help kids learn multiplication? This post details useful tips and activities for teaching multiplication to upper elementary students!
PLUS, you can grab some FREE math resources at the end of this post!
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Teaching Multiplication to Upper Elementary Students
First of all, when you think of teaching math to elementary students, what comes to mind?
I bet math counters & blocks, graphs, anchor charts, and games top the list.
We all know that math skills such as multiplication can be tricky to teach.
But the good news is that it’s not impossible!
Here are some general ideas for teaching multiplication:
- Use engaging YouTube and Khan Academy videos that show kids how to master important math skills. These sites provide helpful visuals for students!
- Build a strong foundation, so students have a solid understanding of addition and skip counting before introducing multiplication.
- Use a range of math manipulatives so students can experience math through a hands-on approach.
- Be sure to laminate multiplication centers so you can continue to reuse materials year after year.
- Use Plickers to review math in a fun way.
- Incorporate games that can be used for small group or individual practice. (Like the ones you’ll see below.
- Explore real-life scenarios where students are challenged to use multiplication to solve problems. (I.e., arranging chairs around tables, diving cookies, or making even teams in PE class.
Although these common ideas work for teaching math, they may not be enough for struggling learners.
Well, my friend, I’ve got you covered with more specific ideas below.
CHECK OUT THESE CUTE MATH T-SHIRTS FOR TEACHERS!
Play Online Multiplication Games
For starters, you can juice up your multiplication teaching with fun math games online.
These games work well during math centers in class by allowing students to use devices for multiplication practice.
If students are struggling to use manipulatives in class with you, they can get visuals of arrays and grouping through online games.
My favorite sites are Cool Math, Prodigy, and MathXtra.
Here are more math sites that have multiplication games for more practice:
Each of these game sites has standardized content combined with fun multiplication practice for kids.
Most of them are free, but some require paid subscriptions for advanced features.
By the way…none of these sites are sponsored; I’m not being paid to promote them. I truly love them as a teacher and a parent.
Use “Multiplication Match-Up” Activities
The second idea for teaching multiplication is to use match-up games. These versatile games will work well in any classroom!
These multiplication math boards can be used as partner games or as independent student work. If you would like to see more details, CLICK HERE.
Your students need repetition to master the skill of multiplying, but timed multiplication drill worksheets DON’T WORK!
So having fun, hands-on practice when multiplying not only reinforces basic math facts, but they aren’t boring for students.
Additionally, you can laminate the pieces and gameboard so you can continue to use this activity year after year.
You can also use the no-prep version for students to have multiplication practice matching the answers without the game pieces.
Have a Digital Multiplication “Scavenger Hunt”
Another idea for keeping students engaged with multiplication is with digital scavenger hunts.
One powerful way to teach multiplication is by using arrays and repeated addition.
They not only reinforce the concept behind “groups of,” but they also provide visuals that help kids grasp the skill of repeated addition and communicative property.
These digital scavenger hunts related to multiplication show real-life pictures of arrays.
Once students see the array, they type a multiplication and repeated addition number sentence to match the picture.
You can also challenge students to find or make more arrays that show multiplication.
I especially love how an activity like this promotes math talks!
With activities like this, your students spend more time talking about math and examples of multiplication in real life.
This can also really build their confidence and understanding with this math skill.
It’s a win-win for everybody involved.
Make Multiplication More Fun with Color-by-Code Activities
Another way to infuse your classroom with multiplication practice involves coloring pages!
Before you scoff at the idea of teaching multiplication using coloring pages, hear me out. 👂🏼 Color by code activities provide rigor and engagement for kids.
Not only are they fun, but they provide ample ways to practice those fact families. In addition to this, you can combine division practice with this type of multiplication practice.
The ones you see featured above have a summer-theme, which makes them a great tool for math practice during the summer-time. But honestly, you can use color-by-code math worksheets any time of the year.
I like using them as bell-ringers and early finisher activities. Plus, they make great no-prep sub work! If you haven’t already used them in your class, give them a try for teaching multiplication.
Use Math Read Aloud Books About Multiplication
If you’ve spent any time on this site, you know I always highly recommend cross teaching different subjects like math and reading.
This is why I strongly believe in using math read-alouds about multiplication, which not only builds fact fluency but reading fluency as well.
There are some really fun books with vivid pictures and funny story lines that showcase multiplication in a way that helps kids enjoy it.
Here’s an entire post with the best math read-aloud book ideas, which includes a full section on multiplication books for kids!
Not only will you get multiplication book ideas, but other math math skills are featured also.
FREE Math Activities
Hopefully, the ideas above help you get the ball rolling with fresh and fun ways to teach multiplication.
Because it never hurts to have more than one activity in your teaching tool-belt!
In addition to the ideas above, these FREE resources and posts below provide even more math activities and ideas that you can use in your classroom with upper elementary students:
- 7 Quick & Easy Math Centers Ideas
- An Engaging Way to Teach Math & Critical Thinking
- Free Math Computation Task Cards
- Free Place Value Digital Task Cards
I hope you found these tips and activities for teaching multiplication useful!
Happy Math Teaching 🦋
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